I'm not sure about that, my impression is a lot of people know they should save for tomorrow but they just aren't very good at resisting the temptations. Just like smokers know smoking is bad for them and the over weight know they shouldn't indulge.

If we wanted to do something about it then we need to look at schemes like the UK workplace pensions. It's compulsary for employers and opt-out for employees. It has resulted in many more people saving for retirement.